The Brooklyn Cigar Shop That Never Was

Looking Ahead to a New Screening of 'Smoke,' Paul Auster Talks About Inventing the Neighborhood Hangout of His Dreams

By

Steve Dollar

December 16, 2011

If there's such a thing as an essential Brooklyn film, it might well be "Smoke." The 1995 drama, co-directed by Wayne Wang and Park Slope novelist Paul Auster, was filmed mostly around the corner of 16th Street and Prospect Park West, and is vibrant with neighborhood personality.